The Rick Faris Band played Nashville’s iconic Station Inn stage on Friday, July 12, to a lively crowd of locals and out-of-towners, staunch bluegrass fans, and even some bachelorettes.Jed Clark opened the evening on guitar, showcasing his finger-picking style and original lyrics.
Rick Faris has spent his life apprenticing for his musical career. He played first with The Faris Family Bluegrass Band before joining Special Consensus on mandolin. Faris released first solo album Breaking in Lonesome before departing amicably from Special C to set out on his own in 2021. His sophomore album The Next Mountain was released that year, followed by Uncommon Sky in 2023.
Faris has solidified his move, putting together his touring band, with his brother Jimbob Faris playing bass (and providing comic relief to Rick as straight man on stage). The band is rounded out by Gibson Davis on banjo and Henry Burgess on mandolin. Both in their teens, their instrumental skills are testament to being steeped in bluegrass all their lines, like Faris.
Faris opened with “Deep River” and “What I’ve Learned” from The Next Mountain, highlighting the brothers’ blood harmony. The set list showcased Faris’ strong vocal range, as he reached for the high notes on such songs as “Too Lonely, Way Too Long.”
Faris introduced Davis, who kicked off the instrumental “Newton Grove” on banjo, mentioning his multi-generational bluegrass pedigree. Oklahoman Henry Burgess followed, taking the instrumental lead on “The Hoot Owl Call,” another of Faris’ original songs, drawn from his home. Jimbob Faris kept up a banter between songs, leading into “Evil Hearted You,” written for Del McCoury.
Before their break, Faris took note of the audience members who, like him, grew up on 80s music, leading into his cover of “Power of Love,” which earned him a nomination in 2023 for IBMA Song of the Year.
Returning to the stage, Paris and the band gave listeners a full night of music, with moonshine songs, heartbreak songs, and gospel numbers. While much of the set list was composed of Faris’ original songs, Jimbob showcased his bass voice on “Folsom River Blues.” An accomplished luthier as well as guitarist and vocalist, Rick Faris played a handmade three-month-old white oak guitar. When he popped a string at the beginning of Bill Monroe’s classic “Footprints in the Snow,” he turned to Davis and Burgess to take over while he sprinted off stage to change the string in record-breaking time. He also invited Grammy-nominated bass player Beth Lawrence to join them on stage to sing “You’re No Longer a Sweetheart of Mine.” The band closed out the night with “I’ll Stay Around,” followed by “I’ll See You on the Other Side.”
